It’s been awhile since Manhattan had a defining icon painting its Midtown skyline.
So when locally-based developers JDS Development and Property Markets Group set its sights on the historic Steinway building located in the heart of the city, designers from New York City-based Shop Architects set out to bring back the quality and proportions of historic NYC towers. They pushed engineering even further given the small footprint they were working with — a base lot measuring just 43 square feet wide.
The company acquired 45,000 square feet of air rights in March, and in its place, they’ll build a tower that’s 1,350 feet tall, taller than the Empire State Building. The super skinny building will be unprecedented in its dimensions, claiming a 31 to 4 height-to-width ratio, and likely offering an average floor-to-ceiling height of 15 feet spread across its 74 floors and 100 units.
Clad in Terra Cotta on the east and west façade, the building can be seen at various scales and vantage points. A glass curtain wall to the north of the building offers sweeping views of Central Park, as its nestled in the back of the building to keep elements of the landmark intact.
Construction is expected to begin in 2014.
